Retail Industry Insights

A research paper published by Nielsen in August 2016 found that 64% of the world’s population are on some form of exclusion diet. Whether a consumer changes their food habits for ethical, medical, lifestyle, or religious reasons, finding suitable food still becomes an enormous struggle. It is often immediately more expensive, and reading product labels can be time consuming and confusing. 

People are passionate about their favorite treats and have an emotional connection to them. That being said, the negative publicity surrounding sugar is making consumers think twice about their sweet consumption. The International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) 2018 Food & Health Survey indicates that over half of respondents state they are eliminating candy to decrease sugar consumption. In addition, food activists are pressuring confectionary sales at check out. Considering these evolving factors and the growth of health and wellness at retail, the NCA launched their Always a Treat Initiative to assist supermarkets and consumers with balanced solutions.

Produce is a key basket builder for supermarkets. As the Food Marketing Institute’s Power of Produce 2017 reports, when a shopper has produce in the basket, the result is an average ring that’s 44% higher. In our second article looking at this report, we’ll review the additional top five findings and discuss how retail dietitians can use the information to assist their retailer with driving sales and traffic in this profit leading department.

National Burger Month (May) is just around the corner! It’s the start of cookout season and a great time to show your customers how to hack the classic hamburger for a burger that is not only more nutritious, but also more delicious and sustainable.

According to IRI data, produce at retail is a large, profitable and growing category that represents over 33% of fresh sales. Given these stats and the growing consumer interest in holistic health, produce has the power to drive increase sales and customer loyalty for supermarkets.

To properly respond to consumer inquires and instill trust in meat case purchases, supermarket health influencers need to understand the programs farmers are adopting to ensure nutritious, safe food, along with the best possible care for their animals and the land. Focus meat case messaging to highlight positive industry practices while helping shoppers have a better cooking and eating experience:

In today’s marketplace, data plays a critical role in helping retail dietitians guide shoppers on their health and wellness journey.  SPINS data can help make your in-store engagement more impactful by focusing on the right products and the right ingredients at the right time.

The consumer definition of health and wellness has expanded to include a variety of attributes relates to sustainability, making it essential for retail dietitians to add it to the list of considerations in their shopper marketing and engagement.

Consumers may become interested in the DASH diet from the recent ranking by US News and World Report as number one in best diets overall and best diets for healthy eating. 

A key component of a successful themed campaign is a comprehensive signage package for stores, yet few retailers often promote nutrition events in this manner.